Cat and Mouse
by Megasaurus the Dinosaur
Summary: She ran away and he chased after her. Everytime he thought he finally had her, she slipped from his grasp once again. It was a dangerous dance of cat and mouse to be playing in the Hunger Games, but it was an addicting one that neither of them could stop. Cato/Katniss Dedicated to RueEvergreen.
1. Insanity is the Key

**Dedicated to RueEvergreen who requested that I write a Katniss/Cato story. Hopefully it turns out alright, I normally stick to oneshots and my last attempt at a multi-chapter story failed.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the **_**Hunger Games**_** trilogy, or any of its respective characters, in any way, shape, or form. They belong to Suzanne Collins. This piece of fiction is not in any way profitable and is merely written for the enjoyment of others.**

~xXx~

_**Insanity is the Key**_

~xXx~

She had to be insane; there was no way she would be doing this if she wasn't insane. Challenging a black bear for a beehive filled with honey (_gloriusdelicioushoney)_ was not something that perfectly sane people did.

Then again, was anyone who lived in Panem sane? The people in the Capitol sure weren't sane, sending children to their deaths every year for their entertainment (_fortheirjoylaughterbettingre mindercruelty). _The Peacekeepers, sure they weren't all that bad, but they were definitely lacking a few brain cells. Just the other day Darius decided how lovely an idea it would be to juggle their guns, and it ended with him shooting himself in the foot. The Districts, well the Districts could be called sane. They did what had to be done to survive and made sure not to draw to much attention to themselves to make sure that they didn't end up like District Thirteen.

Well there was District Two; they could only be called sane using the loosest definition. Every year dozens of children could be seen lunging forward to be a competitor in the Hunger Games. Always their eyes glittered with the prospect of bloodshed and they were always the favorites to win, and they nearly always did. No, Katniss wasn't entirely sure that District Two was sane.

Then again, who was she to judge anybody on their sanity? Every day she ventured into the woods, going farther and farther each time, getting bolder and bolder each kill. Everything she did though, she did for her family, and she did for Prim.

_Stop lying to yourself. _A voice whispered in the back of her head. _You know that you're not doing this for your family; you're doing this for the thrill of the kill. For the adrenaline pumping through you as you run after your prey, for the pounding in your ears when you're silently stalking your next meal, for that feeling of triumph when you see that arrow sinking into their flesh. You live for it, you _crave _it. _

So maybe that was true, maybe she did hunt for the thrill of it and that feeling of release when she was in the forest all on her own and she could let the bloodlust flow, not have to cage it in. The forest was the only place where she could truly be herself, the only place where she could lay her soul bare on the leafy floor and not have to worry about being judged.

After all, who were the animals to judge her after they had an arrow through their eye?

A small gasp of pain escaped her lips as the bear's claws grazed her stomach, ripping the fabric and staining it with blood at the same time. Immediately the world warped focus and everything became sharper, crystal clear. Noise faded from her hearing and was replaced by the sound of blood pounding in her ears. She shivered as her body pulsed and hummed in time with the blood flowing from her stomach, flashes of heat traveling along her body. A predatory gleam entered into her eyes and her lips upturned into bloodthirsty and vicious grin as she let the arrow fly straight and true from her bow.

The bear stumbled back before letting out a roar and Katniss responded with an unhinged laugh, head thrown back in abandon, and watched as the birds from the surrounding trees flew away startled.

_Every District has a black sheep._ She thought blithely to herself as she reloaded her bow.

~xXx~

Cato knew that he was insane.

In his defence, at least he admitted it instead of living in denial like so many of the people in his District. They went through the day self righteously giving him fearful gazes, whispering about how unstable he was, pulling their children closer to themselves as he walked down the streets.

Fine, he had killed a classmate, but the moron didn't deserve to be preparing to enter the Hunger Games if his guard was that sloppy. The instructors had told the class to fight as if they were going to kill their opponent, and that's what he did. He killed him, and since then the rest of the District had begun to avoid him and in whispers (_thatweren'treallywhispers)_ talk about, "The boy Cato that went right 'round the bend."

Filthy hypocrites.

He didn't understand why they were all so defensive and appalled; they had done the exact same thing in their youth. Cato had searched up the records in the schools, and sure enough, beside the names of students there would be a deceased stamp listing the reason. More often than not, the reason was a "classroom accident".

The deaths were no accidents. They were cold, calculated, efficient, easy, and final. They were the act of an assassin in training (_afuturevictor)_.

As he walked to the District Square where the reaping would take place he titled his chin up and held his head higher as he listened to the words that were being spoken around him.

"_He's unstable; don't know why they don't put him down."_

"_Billy, stay away. Don't ever go near him. Do you hear me?"_

"_Heard that he's going to volunteer this year."_

"_Hope he gets in, hopefully he'll be killed."_

"_This District doesn't need another insane Victor; we have enough as it is."_

"_Monster."_

As Cato took his place among the throng of boys_ (boyswantingsodesperatelytobe men) _as he waited for the reaping, a sardonic smile fixated upon his face as he took in the terrified visages of those next to him. One of them was quaking in his boots, his entire frame shaking like a leaf as he hyperventilated, and the other keep shooting him glances and fidgeting; his posture saying how much he didn't want to be next to the District _monster. _

When the name for the boy tribute was reaped, Cato lunged forward, glaring at those who had their mouths open, their voices dying halfway through their attempt to volunteer. "I volunteer as tribute." He spoke in a powerful voice that left no room for contention.

He shook hands with Clove_ (ohwhatadeadlypairtheywouldma ke) _gripping her hand hard until tear formed in her eyes. He let the bloodlust begin to shine in his eyes and the unhinged grin to fixate itself upon his face.

It was time to let loose.

~xXx~

**Reminder that I'm accepting requests, there's a list on my profile for which fandoms I'm accepting requests from. As you can see, I do actually follow through with them. :)**


	2. Introducing the Cat

_**Introducing the Cat**_

~xXx~

It took all his willpower to not burst out laughing when Cato saw what he would be competing against.

District One was...adequate at what they did. They were better than those in the room, but he was still better; their stances were wrong and they were cocky. It wasn't like he was any better, he was cocky as can be, but unlike Marvel and Glimmer, he could back it up.

Cato had been in school with Clove all of his life, he knew her strengths and weaknesses and she knew his, but it didn't matter. Clove didn't have enough skill to follow through on the fact that he tended to grip his sword too hard to allow proper flexibility and range with his wrist, or that he liked to play with his food before killing them.

District Three was laughable at best, they were afraid of their own shadows and the girl vomited into one of the many available trash cans when he had been practicing his knife work and grinned at her.

District Four, Cato was extremely disappointed in District Four this year. The tributes this year were not up to standard, were nothing like the tributes from last year. Sure they could do rope work, but what good would that do them? Would they bore the other tributes to death by showing them rope work? Cato thought that they would be at least half decent with a sword if they were swinging tridents around all the time, it would take a few adjustments, but they should be at least familiar with the swinging and stabbing motion.

The red head from District Five bugged him, she looked at down upon everyone acting as if she knew more then they all did. The look of disgust that seemed to be permanent upon her face made him want to run his sword through her, slowly and painfully. He wasn't even sure if there was a male tribute from District Five; if there was he, hadn't seen him.

The pair from District Six would be killed before the first day was over, he would make sure of it. They had the nerve to say to him that they hoped he died in the Cornucopia bloodbath. Cato gnashed his teeth together and threw the spear with more force than necessary, skewering the dummy and making the stuffing fly everywhere.

The girl from District Seven was a sniveling wreck and her District Partner held her at arm's length, but that didn't mean anything at all. Her mentor, Johanna Mason, could have simply told her to act like that since that was how she won her games.

District Eight and District Nine would be killed before the first day was over.

Cato let out a snort as he looked at the male tribute from District Ten, with that limp he would be lucky to even make it through training without doing something to kill himself by accident.

He wanted to know what they were feeding the kids in District Eleven. The black boy was a giant, bigger than himself, and reminded Cato of the oxen that he saw as the passed District Ten. The boy was a force to be reckoned with, Cato admitted. He had grabbed a flail and worked wonders with it, reducing the dummy, and the trainer he practiced with, to shreds. Cato wanted (_needed) _him on his team, that way he could kill him in his sleep the first night and eliminate the competition. The girl though (_sotinyandfrail) _wouldn't last. There was no way that she would be able to survive the harsh reality of the Games, killing her would be an act mercy.

Cato wasn't sure about what to think of District Twelve. The boy was of no use that was for sure. Sure he looked strong, but he was all soft baby eyes that didn't know a life of hardship and compassion and mercy. He had no place in the Games and would be one of the first to die. The girl though, Cato wasn't sure about. Logically he should have just written her off. She was easily the smallest person here, and that was counting those who were starved half to death, and she didn't seem to be able to do anything useful. He'd seen her handle a spear and she was average, not horrible, but not spectacular. She was sullen, withdrawn, and would get no love from the sponsors and from any of the tributes. His instinct screamed at him though with alarm bells ringing loudly in his head, and it irked (_atetorekilledconfused) _him to no end. There was nothing spectacular about this girl with her black hair braided down her back, with those eyes grey as slate. There was no power behind those slender arms of hers to create a devastating swing with an axe or a sword. Those eyes of hers locked onto his and he stopped breathing.

And he _saw._

Her eyes were as hard as flint as just as easily able to cause a spark. They were cold, calculated, jaded, closed off (_justlikehis_) and he suppressed the urge to flinch as he looked at a reflection of himself in this girl that he had been about to write off.

The connection broke as she flicked her eyes away and he let out a breath he hadn't been sure that he was holding. She walked past him and he wondered what she had seen when she had looked into his eyes. Did she see how alike they were? That he had the same eyes? He watched her as she walked (_stalked_) around the room to scope out and evaluates the other tributes (_preythatwouldfallvictimtoher _) and Cato could now see the minute details that marked her as a hunter (_killer_). Her gait was deliberate, not one step was unnecessary. It was sturdy, ready to withstand any force that came her way, but lightweight, ready to run if necessary. Her arms would twitch every now and then towards her back before she would let them fall, she was an archer then, or they would brush along her thigh or her ankle if she was sitting down, a knife most likely. Her muscles would tighten up if anyone came to close to her, her fists would clench, and her scowl would become even deeper (_wasthatevenpossible?_).

Cato continued watching the girl for the rest of the day. He still excelled at whatever he did even if his attention was diverted. As he watched her go to the knife station he saw her pick up a knife and his heart quickened in anticipation.

He wasn't disappointed.

It was obvious that a knife wasn't her main weapon with the way that she moved, but she wasn't inexperienced by any means. Inexperienced knife handlers weren't able to make it so that they were dazzling and almost as good as Clove while still hiding some of their skill.

And hiding was she ever.

Her movements were still to graceful to appear sloppy no matter how hard she tried, her swings to powerful, her stance while the trainer said was incorrect was perfect for her body and dozens of scenarios appeared in Cato's head of her weaving in and out of her opponents reach as she danced and sliced and sprayed blood and gore all around her.

His blood hummed and throbbed in a frenzied fervour. He had found his match, the person in these games that could keep up with him, the person who could possible kill him, the person who could give him the challenge he was so craving.

And she was perfection, absolute perfection.

~xXx~


	3. Introducing the Mouse

_**Introducing the Mouse**_

~xXx~

She was going to kill Haymitch slowly, painfully, and she would enjoy it.

"You want me to do _what?" _She asked in a low and deadly voice.

Peeta shifted uncomfortably beside her, fiddling with his shirt (_his_matching_shirt_) and giving her nervous glances. Haymitch merely looked at Katniss with a dead expression and took a drink from his bottle before saying, "I want you to botch up everything that you do combat wise."

"No." She told him flatly. "There is no way that I will simply screw up everything that I do. I have worked too hard and long on these skills to pretend otherwise!"

"Well to bad sweetheart." Haymitch snarled angrily. "Your little stunt yesterday with the knives has put you on a priority list for the Careers!"

"The boy from District Two was looking at you with bloodthirsty eyes Katniss." Peeta told her softly.

_I hope he was watching. _Katniss thought to herself dryly. _That was the whole point of going to the knives station, even if I did hold back. _Katniss had seen the monstrous boy from District Two and when the two of them had looked into each other's eyes, she knew that they were the mirror image of each other. The point of using those knives was for him to understand that he was her, and she was him (_theywerethesame). _Katniss turned to Haymitch with an angry expression on her face, "I did what you told me to do Haymitch, I stayed away from archery and I downplayed my skills."

"Well obviously you didn't downplay them enough if District Two is gunning for you." He snorted.

"I will _not _deliberately sabotage my chances to practice and learn a new combat skill _days _before I'm going to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death!" By now Katniss had risen from her chair was yelling.

"Katniss, sit down. A lady does not stand and shout at the dinner table, or ever really." Effie scolded. Katniss only looked at her with the dirtiest expression that she could muster, and Effie gave a small tut before returning to her dinner.

"Katniss." Peeta said softly grabbing onto her wrist, "We promised Haymitch that we would listen to and do whatever he said."

"That's right sweetheart," Haymitch slurs, "So that means botch every combat oriented thing you do. Feel free to excel at knot tying or edible plants, but become a horrible warrior. Got it?"

"Got it." She spit out before storming away from the dinner table and into her room to scream into her pillow and throw things around the room.

~xXx~

"It's okay Katniss; it's only for two more days." Peeta said soothingly in hopes that he would be able to calm her down.

"It's _not _alright Peeta!" She hissed back angrily at him, aware that she could have an audience at any given moment. "It may be easy for you to pretend that you suck at combat, especially since you do no offense." She said hastily looking at him.

"None taken." He replied with a shrug. "It's true."

"I'm good at this type of thing though, it's one of the _only _things that I'm good at. Can you imagine deliberately doing badly at camouflage?" It seemed like the right analogy to make for Peeta to understand what she felt like.

A look of horror immediately crossed his face and she knew that he understood what she was feeling. "I am so sorry Katniss." He told her sincerely.

Katniss shifted uncomfortably at the sincerity in his tone. No matter what she did to keep him at arm's length, he was still as kind and carrying as possible to her. She couldn't deal with it though; she couldn't let the Boy-With-the-Bread to worm himself even deeper into her heart if she wanted to go home, what did he not understand about that?

"It's okay Peeta." She told him in a tired voice and, attempting to plaster a smile onto her face, said, "Smile Peeta, we've got company at five o'clock; quick start talking about something."

He then began to regale her with tales of the different type of customers they would get in the bakery until _he _came over and Peeta's voice faltered as he looked at who had come towards them. "C-Cato," he stuttered out, "what brings you over here?"

_So his name is Cato_. Katniss mused to herself. _Interesting name, I wonder if he really is all knowing._

Cato ignored Peeta and turned to face Katniss, his square jaw set in annoyance, and said in a frustrated tone, "What are you doing?"

Raising a black eyebrow Katniss replied with sarcasm thick as the summer rain, "Currently I'm eating a bowl of clam chowder."

Peeta choked on the water he was drinking and gave Katniss an incredulous look wondering if she was in fact insane; she gave him a flat look wondering if he was insane.

Katniss saw Cato's mouth twitch before it became set in deep scowl (_somuchlikeherown_) and he said through clenched teeth, "What are you doing screwing up everything that has to do with combat?"

Peeta and Katniss both froze momentarily before Peeta went back to eating and Katniss responded with a scowl of her own. "I don't know what you're talking about _Cato_." She took extra care enunciating his name, feeling it roll off her tongue; it was true, he was all knowing. The two of them were locked in a staring match with matching scowls upon their faces; Cato unwilling to say that he was wrong, Katniss unwilling to prove that he was right.

As she looked into his eyes, Katniss was able to see exactly what he was thinking. She could see his frustration in being superior in combat skills in these games. When he volunteered, he had volunteered for a challenge, for a place to unleash his inner monster, a place to find his equal.

A place to find her.

Katniss wasn't being conceited, she just _knew _that was why he was so frustrated that she was hiding her skills and making sure she messed up every time that she went to a combat station. Cato had finally been able to glimpse an equal, even when she was downplaying her skills, and all of a sudden, that equal was gone. The hardened and skilled warrior had been replaced by the incompetent beginner.

It hurt to think that he had found his fellow monster in her, but Katniss knew that it was true; that she was a monster. She had known that she was a monster from the moment that she had made her first kill and relished in it. She knew that she was a monster when Gale told her that shooting the other tributes (_childrenhumansboysgirlsvicti ms_) couldn't be all that different from shooting animals, and she had known that it would be different (_thatitwouldbebetter_).

As her grey eyes flickered towards Peeta's blue ones, breaking eye contact from Cato's light blue ones, her scowl deepened even more. Why did Haymitch have to tell them to always be with each other? If he wasn't there, she could tell Cato that she was his fellow monster, that she understood, (_thatshehadthesamecravings_), she could tell him how long she had waited for someone that was like her that understood.

She couldn't say any of that though with Peeta beside her, so Katniss settled with saying, "I have a drunk for a mentor."

As Cato's lips upturned into a cocky and amused smile, Katniss knew that he already knew everything that she couldn't say.

~xXx~


	4. A Dance Without Music

_**A Dance without Music**_

~xXx~

"Teach me to shoot an arrow."

Katniss glared at him. "Why would I do that? I'd just be making my enemy (_fellowmonster)_ stronger and increase his chances of murdering me."

"It wouldn't be murder." Cato responds casually as he leans over her shoulder and starts playing with the snare she's working on.

Katniss swats at his hand and scowls, "Careful, you'll lose a few fingers if you set this off."

"Oh, you're worried about me, how cute." He cooed mockingly.

Katniss' scowl became set even deeper as she replied, "Not worried about my future murderer, I'm worried that you losing a few fingers would be viewed as an act of aggression and I would get punished."

"I told you already, it wouldn't be murder." Cato's voice was slowly beginning to become raise and the temper that he was infamous for in District Two was beginning to show.

"Explain to me how it wouldn't be murder then All Knowing One."

_So she knows what my name means, smart girl. _"It wouldn't be murder if I slit your throat right now because I know your name _Katniss_." He purred out her name possessively. "It's only murder if you don't know the person's name and they don't know yours."

Katniss stood and up tossed a dummy into the center of her, now finished, snare and watched in satisfaction as the wire tripped and ripped through the dummy, sending stuffing in all direction. The trainer gave Katniss an approving nod before turning to the boy from District Ten who was now green in the face and looking between Katniss and Cato in horror.

"That's hot (_sexyanamalisticbrutalbarbari cperfect)_." Cato said casually and amusement flickered across his face as he watched the cripple get up to go vomit into a nearby trashcan.

She shot him and annoyed look before walking towards the sword station. Cato follow her bemused which then turned into a sardonic grin as she tossed his a sword. A look passed between the two of them and Cato knew what Katniss was about to say before she had opened her mouth. "Teach me how to wield a sword." She said in a jaunting tone with her chin stuck out and a wicked glint in her eyes.

Cato let out an unhinged laugh, making the other tributes look at them with looks of confusion, why would the strongest tribute in combat be with the weakest tribute in combat so far? "With pleasure." He told her with a predatory grin.

She responded with her own bloodthirsty (_mirroringhisown)_ grin, and he knew for certain that he had found the monster that he had been looking for.

~xXx~

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Haymitch snarled fiercely making spit fly everywhere.

Katniss wiped the spit off her face in disgust and sarcastically said, "I thought that was made clear when I volunteered for the Hunger Games."

"Don't sass me sweetheart." _Sass?_ She mouthed to Peeta who responded with a shrug. "I give you two rules, _two! _Stay with each other, and be horrible at combat, and _somehow _you managed to break both of them at the same time!"

She contemplated playing innocent, but realized that Haymitch had probably been watching them the entire time. "You should probably clarify what it is you're talking about so I know that we're on the same page."

Peeta gave a sigh and laid his elbows onto the table and shook his head. Effie merely look confused and started squawking something about the schedule before Portia grabbed her arm softly and Cinna shook his head slightly, his gold eyeliner glinting in the room light. Haymitch had the worst reaction by slamming his glass onto the table and growling, "Sword station, District Two. Ring any bells?"

_How can I forget when all I see in him is myself? _"Oh, you mean Cato." She cut into her meat and daintily put it into her mouth, making sure to chew and swallow before she spoke; Effie gave her a look of approval and praise. "What about him?"

"You don't flirt with the person who is most likely to murder you in the Hunger games!" Haymitch yelled out angrily and effectively stopped everyone in what they were doing.

Peeta looked at her with a look of betrayal and hurt, which confused Katniss to no end. Sure, they were District partners, but they hadn't even talked to each other before getting onto the train.

_Forgetting so soon about the bread Katniss? The bread that saved your life._ The voice inside of her head whispered mutinously.

Cinna merely looked at her with surprise on his face; his eyebrows raised high before turning to talk to Portia who had an equal look of surprise upon her face.

"Katniss," Effie scolded, "flirting in the hunger games just isn't proper. Besides, a lady does not make the first move, she responds to the gentleman."

Katniss couldn't help but snort and choke on her food at the mental image of Cato being a gentleman and daintily taking her hand while she blushed and giggled. "It wasn't flirting, and he isn't most likely to murder me."

"Are you insane-" Haymitch started to say.

Katniss kept talking as though he hadn't said anything. "He's most likely to kill me."

"What's the difference?" Peeta asked confused and hurt.

She gave him a bemused look, still not understanding why he was hurt. "The difference is whether the person (_victimpreychild_) you're killing knows your name and you know theirs."

"Cato tell you that?" Haymitch asked dryly.

"How did you know?" She replied in fake astonishment and gained satisfaction in seeing Haymitch turning red with rage.

"Stop encouraging him, I forbid it as your mentor." His face was even redder than if he had drunk a copious amount of alcohol.

"Why should I stop encouraging it?" Katniss held her head proud in rebellion and focused on Haymitch and ignored everyone else in the room. "If I can get him focused on an image that I portray to him and get him infatuated (_obsessedunderstanding) _with it, it might make him hesitate in killing me for a split second and that could be my window to shoot him down." They all stared at her like she had grown a third head. _So crazy that I've bypassed a second head and grown a third one. _Katniss thought blithely to herself.

"That...could work." Peeta said slowly, as though he was thinking it over in his head, not believing what he was saying.

"Thank you Peeta." She told him giving him a smile that made him stop and sheepishly return.

"Fine." Haymitch told her curtly. "Do what you want, just remember this when you're being mur- _killed_," he corrected himself, "by _Cato _and you aren't going home to your sister."

_He won't be killing me. It'll be a meeting of monsters and a glorious dance will ensure, one that will dazzle the Districts and the Capitol; we'll have finally met our match and we'll go down in a blaze of glory, and one of use will be left standing. Who will have one though? The one laying dead, content in knowing that they had finally found their equal and could die knowing that they were one of the best, or the one alive and now forever alone. Living with the knowledge that they killed the only other monster to truly understand them? _That was what Katniss wanted to tell Haymitch (_PeetaPortiaEffieCinnatheCapi toltheDistrict_everyone) but she couldn't.

They wouldn't understand, only her fellow monster would be able to.

~xXx~

"District Twelve, really Cato?" Clove asked in a disgusted tone

"Shut up Clove or I'll break your leg." He grunted out as he continued with his push-ups.

She stood in the doorway to his room for a moment before striding over and sitting upon his back. He let out a pained groan and a curse before continuing as if she wasn't there. "What is it about her? If you were looking for a girl to put out you would have gone straight to Glimmer, she fawns over you all the time." He remained silent and stared straight ahead. "She's not even good with weapons! Every time she picks up something sharp and pointy she ends up almost skewering herself or the trainer, so what is it about her?" When he gave no response Clove yelled out in frustration, "She's just a useless weakling Cato!"

Suddenly he stood up and Clove fell off Cato's back with a pained grunt. She began to whimper as Cato towered over her, and progressed to a full out sob as Cato lifted her up by her shirt and look her squarely in the eye, a raging ice blue fire visible in his. "Katniss is mine got it? I get to kill her and do whatever I want with her. And as for her being weak," he let out a soft scoff at the idea of his fellow monster (_hismirrorimage) _being weak, "Keep that in mind when she comes up and sinks a sword into your gut. Got it?" Clove gave a hasty and frightened nod before he dropped her and she scampered off and away from his room.

_As if she could be weak of all things. Katniss is anything from weak (_I'manythingfromweak_) she would be able to kill Clove in a second. _Cato thought to himself. _She is me and I am her, two monsters intertwined and destined to meet._

He jerked up from his bed, heart pounding. Clove had gotten into his room, who's to say that he couldn't go to his fellow monsters? A malicious grin spread across his face, Cato could go to her room and claim her as his, show Katniss that she belonged to Cato and no one else, that she was his little monster.

He jumped out of bed and was out the door in less than a minute; it was time to go see his little monster.


	5. Laying Claim

_**Laying Claim**_

~xXx~

His feet were silent as he sprinted through the hallways. Cato was simply a ghost as he flew past doors and through the walls, a ghost seeking company (_someonedeadlikehim). _When he came to the twelfth floor, he had gone up the stairs instead of using the elevator, no one would think to use stairs the lazy people they were, he slowed down and took extra care. It wouldn't do for her mentor to peek out in a drunken stupor and see him stalking through the halls; he might do something stupid like call the Capitol attendants, convinced that he was going to kill one of his precious tributes.

As if Cato would ever kill (_murderintheboyscase) _them without an audience, without someone to appreciate the symphony he would make of their screams, and moans of pain, _and pleas for it to just stop and God please just kill us now. _

Cato stopped in the shadows and took a deep breath to calm himself; it wouldn't do to get excited before the main event. His heightened pulse eventually slowed down, and his boiling blood cooled as he breathed (_inoutinoutin) _and wasted time (_precioustime) _standing, counting to ten to regain his calm.

One.

(_LosecontrolCato, youknowyouwantto) _

Two.

He couldn't afford to lose it, not here, not now.

Three.

_(You'reintheHungerGamesnow)_

Four.

The time to let out his bloodlust would be in the arena, when children were screaming and _she _could see how talented he was.

Five.

_(Nownownownow) _

Six.

Stay calm Cato, not now, soon, but not now.

Seven.

_(Smellthebloodcarnagegoredeat h)_

Eight.

Deep breaths. In, out. In, out. Deep breaths.

Nine.

(_Watchherdieandlaugh) _

Ten.

Katniss.

Cato's eyes snapped open and his breathing stopped; he was here for Katniss. He was on the twelfth floor right now to lay his claim, to let her know that she was his and his alone. He couldn't afford to lose his calm now before he reached her room. Cato glided through the hallways, keeping to the shadows and stopping every now and then when a Capitol attendant was close by, and soon he came to the section that held bedrooms. An animalistic smile lit up Cato's face as he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

~xXx~

She was having fitful dreams.

Katniss was tossing and turning, letting out moans and the sheets of the bed were tangled around her body. Her hands grasped the sheets and pulled and twisted as if her life depended on it and sheen of sweat covered her skin. Cato trailed a rough and calloused finger down her soft cheek wondering what could frighten a monster into have a nightmare. Katniss leaned into his hand and he stroked her face and let out another moan and arched her back, making Cato stop as it clicked inside his brain.

So it was one of _those _dreams then.

He let out a dark chuckle wondering who it was that would be starring in an erotic dream of her. Cato leaned in close to her ear and said in a husky whisper, "Say my name as you cum for me Katniss, say it."

A whimper escaped her lips as she said in a lust filled moan, "Uh, Gale! Harder, harder!"

Cold fury overtook Cato as he looked at her twist and moan in an erotic dream that wasn't about him. How dare her! Katniss was his and his alone, she didn't belong to a songbird, she belonged to a roman. "So you want it hard huh?" His expression was all harsh lines and cruel eyes as Cato looked at his knuckles and wondered how much force could be applied with them and if it would be hard enough for her.

~xXx~

Something was wrong.

Katniss had been so close. Gale was over top of her and he was whispering sweet nothings into her ear and combined with his laboured pants and moans it was music to her. His hands roamed and teased and made her scream in frustration and ecstasy, but the ecstasy and pleasure was fading to only be replaced with pain.

Katniss awoke with a pained start as she felt the fist strike her across her chest. Her eyes flitted across the room, straining to see who it was that was assaulting her like this. As blow after bow rained down upon her, Katniss' hands searched under her pillow.

~xXx~

A sardonic smile set itself upon Cato's face as he took in what he had done to his little monster's body. Purple, blue, green, black, and yellow bruises were blossoming on her olive skin; a sick parody of a garden that he had planted. It was a beautiful work of art though; the masterpiece that was her body now had his mark on it, his artist's signature all over her stomach and legs, chest and sides. Cato trailed his hands along her body, pressing down hard on the multicoloured bruises and feeling perverse satisfaction at the whimpers and gasps of pain that he was to elicit from her.

~xXx~

She finally had found it; she could feel the hilt and she grasped it for all that was worth.

~xXx~

It wasn't enough for him though, knowing that she would flinch and cringe and know that she was his every time she looked at her own body, he wanted (_neededcravedlusted) _for others to know that she was his as well.

That she belonged to a Roman, not some songbird.

He stroked her neck and leaned in to give it a blunt nibble and a kiss.

~xXx~

Katniss gasped and shivered as she felt teeth graze the skin of her neck and she struggled to not let out the moan that had built up in her throat.

~xXx~

Cato smirked at the red mark on her neck; it would stay there for the games and when he killed her, everyone would know that it was his mark on her.

He stroked the little innocent red mark before giving her neck a harsh squeeze.

~xXx~

Her lungs were burning (_dyingforair) _and her neck that had been in the middle of being pleasured was now in the middle of being abused. Katniss lashed out as best that she could, her legs were pinned down and there was a heavy weight over top of her body, but she could feel that she had found her mark.

~xXx~

Cato wasn't sure whether to feel pride or pure, unadulterated rage.

Where the hell had she gotten a knife from?

~xXx~

The weight was gone and Katniss sprung up gasping down lungfuls of air as fast and hard as she could. As her vision cleared Katniss' pained and desperate expression transformed into one filled with venomous anger, "You." She spat out from between clenched teeth.

~xXx~

"Me." Cato smirked back as he took in Katniss' appearance, struggling to reign in his lust as he saw her. Her chest heaved up and down as she struggled to breath, her hand held onto the blade that she had cut him within a tight grip. Cato lifted a hand to his face and brushed at his cheek where she had cut him. Blood stained his fingers and he stared at it with fascination, "You're very quick with a knife there, _Katniss._"

"What are you doing here Cato?" Katniss hissed as she lifted the sheets around her to cover up her nudity; what had convinced her that forgoing clothes to bed was a good idea?

He smirked as he saw her fluster to cover up her innocence (_notlikehehadn'talreadyseenit) _and said in a bored drawl, "Well I just came by to say hi and stop for a nice little chat, when I heard moans coming from your room." Katniss' face paled and Cato's smirk grew even wider. "Thought you might have been having a nightmare with all that loud moaning, and twisting, and panting that you were doing."

She wasn't even sure if it was possible for her face to become paler than it already was, but it did. Katniss swallowed and said in a voice that she hoped didn't betray the insecurity that she felt, "Hm, it was torturous actually, but you know me, I'm a bit of a masochist."

Cato's expression chilled and his blue eyes became chips of ice. "You're mine and no one else's."

"You need to get a reality check Cato." She growled in response. "I am my own, no one else's. Now get out of my room."

Cato slapped her across the face and Katniss sat there in stunned silence as she heard the slap reverberate through the room. "Don't you _dare _tell me what to do Everdeen." He snarled like an enraged animal.

Slowly Katniss turned her head to face towards him, and then with deliberate motions, lifted up the knife and dug it into his arm, dragging it downwards tearing through muscle and skin and making blood stain the, previously, white sheets. "Get. Out. Of. My. Room."

Cato blinked owlishly at the blood that pooled in rivulets down his arm and lunged at Katniss, crushing his lips to hers. "God you make me hot." He groaned into her mouth as he nipped, and sucked, and invaded. It was harsh. It was primal. It was brutal and rough and forceful.

It was perfect.

Katniss couldn't (_wouldn't) _tell him that, wouldn't respond just as aggressively to what he had started. Instead she remained still as a statue, lips unmoving, and lifted the knife up towards his chest. She put enough pressure behind it that it sunk just so slightly into Cato's flesh making him hiss in pain. She said once more, her eyes hard like steel, in a flat tone. "Get out of my room."

He did.

~xXx~

**Late, late, late. So sorry that this is extremely late, but it just did not want to be written. I rewrote it eight times and I'm still not satisfied with it, I actually hated it. I tried to go with even darker themes (insane thing to attempt since I already started off with writing something really dark) so tell me if you prefer it or prefer the style I have in previous chapters. Again, sorry for it being so late.**


	6. Twisted Lines

_**Twisting Lines**_

~xXx~

She couldn't get his scent off her.

Katniss had been scrubbing in the shower for half an hour trying to get him out of her mind, but her was always there. She had pressed a multitude of buttons, each one spraying out a different scent, in an attempt to rid herself of him. Pine, roses, lemons, raspberries, spring morning, and sunshine and dew, so many different scents but _his _was always there. Permanent in the back of her nose with its cloying (_addictivewonderfulperfect) _scent of cloves and musk (_bloodandcarnage) _and it just wouldn't leave.

Katniss choked on the scream building up in her throat, why couldn't he just _leave? _He was everywhere. She could smell his scent no matter what she did, feel his hands ghosting across her body causing both pain and pleasure, hear his growl of possession and his bark of anger, Katniss was sure that if she closed her eyes then she would be able to see his smirk branded behind her eyelids.

She couldn't keep it in anymore as the hot water pounded onto her stinging back Katniss let out a choking sob and slammed her fist against the wall. Why did it have to be her? Why did she have to find her equal her in the Hunger Games, and why did he have to be such a monster? (_Suchamirrorimage?). _Why did Katniss have to be the one to feel phantom lips and aches and pain flash across her body?

Why did she have to get turned on by it?

Just the thought on last night and Cato's weight overtop of her sent heat pooling in between her legs. The blood and the insults, it was all just foreplay to a pair of monsters. Something designed to get the blood pumping faster, to heighten the senses, and send excitement coursing through their veins.

Katniss slammed her fist against the wall once again and gave a strangled cry. Disappointment coursed through her as she saw that there was no blood on her fist, nothing to take her mind off him, to make the fantasies stop playing out.

She turned the water off and stayed there for a moment, the cool air making goose-flesh appear all over her body. As Katniss began to shiver she stepped out from the shower and looked at the mirror with self-loathing and disgust. The bruises stood out in stark contrast to her skin and the hickey (_hismark) _was a red flag being waved in front of everyone's faces. Katniss lunged and swung her fist at the reflective surface again and again watching as it splintered and fell to the ground.

She finally had the blood that she had so desperately wanted.

~xXx~

"You seem chipper this morning." Brutus said conversationally as he took a bite from his omelette. "What did you do last night?"

"I wouldn't use the word chipper." Cato replied sidestepping the question.

Clove gave Cato a sly look before saying, "Probably went to go visit District Twelve. What did you do Cato? Make love?" She let out a mocking laugh with a sardonic expression. "But wait, that's right, you can't love. You can only do pain and suffering."

Cato let out a frosty smile, struggling to reign in the urge to snap Clove's neck. It would be so easy too, just a simple reach across the table and a quick twist. Simple, efficient, final. "As long as they're a masochist I don't see why the pain and suffering is a problem at all."

Clove's face wrinkled in disgust and she let out a gag. "God, I did not need to know that."

"It's even better when they're sadistic back." Cato said with a leer, relishing in the way that Clove's face turned green. He thought to the slash in his arm and the indented hole in his chest. Just the mere thought of seeing his blood flowing down his arm and the feeling of the knife sinking ever so slightly into his chest was enough to make his blood start racing.

"That where you got the cut on your cheek?" Brutus asked pointing with a knife (_flashbacksofbloodandlust) _to his face, "From your little game of masochism and sadism?"

"I believe a better title would be a game of cat and mouse." But who was the cat and who was the mouse? He was the one that had chased after her last night, but as soon as Katniss had pulled that knife from underneath her pillow it was as if the roles were reversed. He had been at the mercy of her and Cato could have easily been eaten up by her. "It's a game of toying with each other before going in for the kill (_battlegloryfinalend)."_

"Just make sure that you're not the mouse dead beneath the cat." Brutus grunted ending the conversation.

_But that's the fun part._

~xXx~

"How did you get these Katniss?"

"I'm fine Cinna, it doesn't matter." Katniss said in a tired voice. "Can we just get me ready for my last day of training?"

He ran a critical gold lined eye over her body as he took in the multitude of bruises and gave a sigh. "The bruising on your body is easy to cover today, but we'll have to do something about the ones on your arms and the hickey on your neck. Do I even want to know Katniss?"

She flushed a deep red and gave a small shake of her head. "I'll be fine Cinna. They don't hurt, they just look bad."

Cinna ran a hand over his face and rubbed his chin. "I'll have to make a few modifications to your dress for the interviews."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not." He replied with a tight smile. "Just be careful with whatever game you're playing Katniss; you're in enough danger as it is no need to add to it unnecessarily."

As Cinna began dabbing make-up onto her skin and helped her get dressed into her outfit for the day she vowed with a face set deep with resolve, "I will."

~xXx~

Cato's brow furrowed as he looked at her and took in her appearance. Where were the bruises and his mark? Where were the things that claimed her as his and showed that to everyone else? She was wearing a low collared shirt with her hair up off her neck as if to taunt him and show him that something was wrong, that his mark was gone.

"Focus Cato." Clove hissed at him through clenched teeth. "I will not have you spacing out and doing something to ridicule our District."

"_Your_ District." Cato muttered darkly as he swung the axe around.

Clove's brown eyes narrowed in distaste and distrust. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you volunteered as the tribute from District Two did you not? You know, the place that you were born, and grew up in, and trained in, and are now here representing."

He let go of the axe and watched as it flew in a deadly (_beautiful) _arc and sink deep into the target. He turned to face Clove and noted with satisfaction the fear that was present in her eyes. "I may be representing them, but they are in no way my District. I'm just the insane monster (_killermurdererboy) _from there remember? I don't have a place in that society." He told her with a humourless grin.

Clove didn't speak the rest to him for the rest of the hour.

~xXx~

Katniss stifled a wince as she stretched the wrong way on the gym floor as she got ready to climb up the rock wall and hoped that no one saw.

"Are you okay Katniss? You seem a bit stiff."

She let out a curse below her breath before letting out a tense, "I'm fine Peeta, pulled a muscle yesterday."

"Doing what?" His concern was so genuine, the worry so palpable that it made her spine tingle in apprehension. Why did he care so much?

"Obviously from screwing up so much yesterday, the human body can only take so much of going against its instincts before it begins to rebel."

"What do you _want?_" Her frustration was so thick and heavy Katniss wondered how she didn't drown in it. Just seeing Cato's face after the night before was enough to incite apprehension, happiness, rage, and lust, _everything _in her body.

Cato gave her a cocky smile as if he knew exactly what was going on inside her body. "Calm down Katniss, just checking to make sure that a member of my alliance isn't injured and going to get killed to soon in the games."

She stilled in her stretches and felt Peeta tense up beside her. "Alliance?" Her voice was low and the tension that ran through her was tight as the wire on her bow. "Since when are we in an alliance?"

He ignored her question and leaned in close towards her, tucking a stray piece of dark hair behind her ear. "You should wear your hair like this more often; show off that pretty neck of yours."

_Where's my mark? _Katniss heard him speak in between the lines to the twisted play they were starring in.

Peeta stepped forward, jaw set in anger. "Watch it Cato."

"Was I talking to you twelve?" Cato snapped back irritably.

"I'm fine Peeta." Katniss whispered softly to him. Peeta's blue eyes searched her grey ones for a moment before he nodded and stepped back. With that problem dealt with Katniss stood up and stepped in close into Cato so that they were chest to chest and began running lazy circles with her fingernail over his bicep. "You must work out so often to be able to get muscles like these." She lifted her eyes to look into his and saw the lust stirring behind those chips of ice. "With such a handsome face as well, you just lucked out with brawn and beauty."

_Where's the mark I left on you? _She asked right back in a way that only he would understand.

"It'll be there once we're in the arena and there's no make-up to have us win some beauty pageant." Cato said aloud surprising Katniss at his verbal response. Peeta's head cocked to the side in confusion and a hand ran through his blonde hair nervously and he struggled to keep up with the conversation (_spokenandunspoken). _

Katniss almost let a smile play out across her face before she replaced it with her trademark scowl. "If you can beat me in a race to the top of the wall I'll join your alliance Cato, but only if you beat me."

A confident smirk played out across his handsome face. "Challenge accepted."

~xXx~

"Oi, Brutus!" Haymitch hollered across the observation room. "Make you tribute stop flirting with mine!"

Brutus gave a sigh and paused the footage he was watching of Cato and his swordsmanship. "What are you talking about?"

Haymitch got off his chair and staggered across the room past other mentors and their screens as they watched their tributes train and made notes on how they could possibly sell their tribute. "Were you not watching him just now?"

"No. I was watching him mutilate a dummy and was thinking about how I could humanize him slightly to make Capitol people want to keep him alive." Brutus replied in a dry voice.

"Well go watch it. He's at the rock wall with my tributes."

Brutus rolled the footage and cursed every deity he could think of that gave him this boy to mentor. "What is he doing antagonizing her like that? He's going to end up with a knife in the chest!"

"He is not forming an alliance with her." Haymitch fumed angrily.

"Not like he'll listen to anything that I say." Brutus mumbled hotly. "I tell him not to go out at night and what does he do? Goes visit a girl and gets a knife to the face."

Haymitch froze in the pacing that he had been doing as he muttered about the idiocies of teenagers. "He did what?"

"Why should I tell you what _my _tribute did last night Haymitch?" Brutus asked in a frosty voice. "What concern of it is yours?"

Haymitch's face flushed a deep purple from anger and he snarled, "Nothing. Have a nice day Brutus." Before he stalked off back to his monitor to angrily make notes.

~xXx~

"Peeta are you okay?" Katniss asked concerned.

"Fine. Perfectly fine." He replied in a clipped tone. "Why do you ask?"

"You're fidgeting uncontrollably and turning that bread roll over and over again in your hand. Not to mention you keep sending shifty glances over towards Cato before looking at me and shaking your head only to repeat to process."

Peeta gave a sigh and turned wide and sad blue eyes towards her. "Just nervous it is. We still have a long time to wait before we get to go for a personal evaluation and...I'm worried about you."

She didn't know whether or not to be confused or insulted. "You're worried." Peeta gave a quick nod. "Worried about me." Katniss said slowly trying to process and understand Peeta's train of thought. "Care to explain?"

He fidgeted around before saying in a small voice, "I'm worried about you and Cato."

Hot anger rushed through her body and Katniss opened her mouth ready to give a scathing retort before taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "Why are you worried about Cato and me?"

"You were ready to form an alliance with him." Peeta's blue eyes were confused as he said this, as if the very thought was a paradox that couldn't be allowed to happen. "Why?"

"Why not?"

"Do you even listen to yourself when you speak?" Peeta yelled loudly drawing the attention of the fellow tributes waiting to be evaluated. Cato looked over with a smug smile on his face as if he knew what they were talking about.

_Probably does know what we're talking about. _Katniss thought to herself before turning to Peeta. "I do in fact listen to myself when I speak Peeta."

"I don't think you do." Peeta responded irritated. "Cato would slit your throat in an instant and you were considering forming an alliance with him?"

"First of all Peeta, he wouldn't slit my throat, Cato's more a run you through with a sword person _(toseeyourlightdie) _and then he's stab you over and over again _(tohearyouscream)." _She said this all with such a conversational and casual air that Peeta face whitened and his eyes widened. "Secondly, I wish I was in an alliance with him, I'm quite disappointed that he didn't beat me in the climbing to the top of the rock wall." He opened his mouth to protest and say something but Katniss continued and raised her voice. "And thirdly, why do you even care who I form alliances with? It doesn't have anything to do with you."

Hurt emotions flashed through Peeta's face and contorted his handsome face into an artwork of anguish. "We're District partners." He protested weakly.

Katniss spared him a single glance before looking to Cato. "No offense Peeta, but I don't want to be partnered with you in the arena. You're only likely to get yourself and me by association, killed." She didn't look back to Peeta to see the tears welling in his eyes, Katniss only stared at Cato knowing that he had heard everything that had been set and grinned like the cat that had eaten the canary.

As Cato name was called he sauntered up towards the door and stopped just before he had reached the threshold. He turned his head so that he was gazing over his shoulder and locked blue eyes with grey and gave a wink and then he was gone.

She ignored that small part of her brain that told her she should have blown him a kiss for luck; monsters like them didn't need luck.

~xXx~

**Late once again, one day I will learn to cope with deadlines. I'm going to try for an update a week and they will happen either on Saturday or on Wednesday. No promises though since it isn't flowing as easily as before and I'm now fighting and rewriting chapters left right and center. Remember to review and that there's a list of fandoms that I'm taking requests for on my profile. **


	7. Luck is for Amateurs

_**Luck Is For Amateurs**_

~xXx~

It was amusing really; they thought that he would need fifteen minutes to show his worth. The very thought made him scoff, fifteen minutes was reserved for those that were weak and struggled to show that they wouldn't be killed (_eventhoughtheywould_). Cato only needed ten minutes and even that was more than needed.

"Begin when you're ready District Two." Seneca Crane drawled lazily, as if he didn't have hungry eyes watching Cato, anticipating the show that was about to start.

Cato gave a mocking bow in return, ignoring the disapproving tuts and titters and whispers of belligerence, as he made his way towards the swords rack and caressed the two-handed broadsword with a loving caress. He'd refrained from using it during training, instead choosing to use the scimitar and simple one handed swords to not give away the small advantage (alovingsuprise) he had over Katniss. As he began his ministrations on the dummy he imagined it was her, imagined the moans of pain (_maybeevenpleasure_) and the creative ways she would strike back.

They dismissed him at the seven minute mark.

~xXx~

Katniss almost wished that she had been able to see Cato again before heading in to her session.

Almost.

She had performed spectacularly though _(inhermind_) she may have misses the cut-out, but she hit her intended mark and showed them just how easy it would have been to kill them. Just a shift to the left and the arrow wouldn't have pierced the apple; it would have skewered a Gamesmakers.

It made her wish she had shifts her aim to the left. What would they have been Able to do? She was already in a living hell (_paradise_).

Now as she sat waiting for the results Katniss couldn't help but see the others expressions. Effie's of horror, Cinna's expression of exasperated acceptance, Peeta's of fear (_goodshewasnthisfriend_) and Haymitch's of pride. She didn't understand (_like_) how his expression was the one that made her glow inside, that made her feel meaningful and as the number eleven flashed across the screen she felt smug knowing that was all her, but the feeling was blown completely out of the water as Haymitch uttered,

"Good job sweetheart."

Three simple words that made her feel complete in a way she hasn't since her father had died (_beenmurdered_) and it scared her. Her mentor was becoming to close and she couldn't (wouldn't) do anything to stop it.

~xXx~

"How did she manage to get higher?" Clove shrieked as she threw vase after vase across the room. "What did the whore do, sleep around with the Gamesmakers? There's no other way she could have gotten a score that high!"

Cato felt murder itch its way across his skin at the implication of other hands than his touching her body, but couldn't deny the idea of such a smart power play. Monsters like them didn't have standards or morals; they did whatever was needed to get the job done. Cato couldn't help but give a snort at the thought; they would've been the most valuable hit men if they had been born during the Dark Ages. "I told you she wasn't weak Clove," he drawled out from the plush couch where he had sprawled, "but did you listen to me? Nope."

"Shut it Cato." Clove snarled in anger as she flipped the table that held various trinkets the Capitol deemed useful.

"Shut it?" Cato's voice was quiet and made clove pause. "Did you just day to me what I think you said?"

Her eyes widened so quickly it was almost comical as she exclaimed with placating hand gestures, "of course not Cato."

He rose from his sprawl and stalked over towards her. "Remember who I am Clove." He threatened through clenched teeth. "Remember what I can do to you. When were in that arena I can either be with you, or against you, or know that if I'm against you than I'll be with her." Cato pointed a finger towards the paused screen with Katniss' face and the flashing number eleven. "So don't you dare disrespect me like that again. Clear?"

"Like crystal."

~xXx~

"There is no way in hell I am going to act like a giggling bimbo." Katniss said in a flat voice.

"Well sweetheart, you don't have much else going for you." Haymitch snarled, "You don't have the curves for seduction. You're incapable of gushing, you're sense of humour is a bit to macabre for the Capitol, you're the surliest person I've met but to small to pull it off. I'm running out of options here."

"What about blood-thirsty or intimidation?" She asked desperately, "Anything to get out of giggling."

Haymitch snorted into his bottle of alcohol and proceeded to choke on his laughter, "You blood-thirsty? You're way to tiny for intimidation and I haven't felt an ounce of blood-lust leak from you the entire time you've been here. Sweetheart, I think you've cracked."

She let the desperation drop from her face and thought about the hungry look Cato had given her, thought about her rage at the Gamesmakers earlier that week, the thrill of the hunt and all those forbidden hours spent in the forest. "Are you sure about that mentor dearest (_mylatestprey_)." Katniss purred with hardened (_crazy_) eyes making Haymitch still. "You think I've cracked?" She rose from her seat and slunk over towards him picking up one of the dinner knives set out on the table. His eyes widened and he tried to leave his seat only to have her push him roughly back down into the red cushions (_redlikehisblood_) with a flinch as Katniss drove the knife into the arms of the plush chair. "You'd have to be whole in the first place to crack." She whispered quietly with a toothy animalistic grin.

"Intimidation and blood-thirsty it is." Haymitch said in a shaky voice as he attempted to calm his breathing and stop the tremor that persisted in his hands.

He didn't succeed.

~xXx~

"Remember Cato-"

"Ya, ya, ya," Cato cut Brutus off, "Not too much intimidation, humanize myself, blah, blah, blah."

"I'm serious Cato." Brutus said in a sharp voice. "If you want sponsors you have to give them something to relate to. A sense of humour, some sap story, say you have a girlfriend or something! They're not going to know the difference."

Katniss' face appeared in his mind and he gave a smirk. _Or something it is._

~xXx~

"Oh Cinna," Katniss said in a rare breathy voice of astonishment mixed with pleasure, "It's beautiful."

"You look beautiful." He corrected her as he placed jewels over her arms in a swirling design of flames. "Remember to not pick at the jewels, they're hiding the bruising over your arms and using the … coloured variation of them to create flames."

Katniss felt a blush creep across her face at the reminder of that night with Cato. "I really am sorry Cinna, I didn't mean for any of that to happen." Her voice was filled with apology making Cinna's eyebrows rise into his hairline.

"I didn't think I would ever see the day that you apologized for something Katniss." He chuckled as he made a twirling motion with his hand to inspect her. "I must say it's quite a shock to hear."

"I really am sorry though, you had to change the design of the dress because of me."

He gave her a small smile, "I like the dress better this way."

As she looked in the mirror at herself Katniss could only marvel at the miracles that Cinna could perform. She had seen the original dress design with its bare shoulders and back and slit up the side to allow movement. It had been beautiful all passion and anger with its fiery red colour; she had been mesmerized by it when he had shown her the design.

This dress though, it stole her breath away.

It was charcoal black with slits in the material that allowed hints of reds, oranges, and yellows to peek through whenever she moved. Its one shoulder strap reached from across her left breast over to her right shoulder covering the worst bruises across her chest. It fell to the floor with more precious jewels lining it as it draped giving the illusion of fire and flame as she moved. Katniss gave a twirl for Cinna and it looked as though she was being engulfed in a raging fire, the illusion completed with the gems that studded her arms and wrapped around the left side of her neck, covering the love mark that Cato had given her. She looked empowered, the black giving her just the edge she needed to not lose her nerve in front of the audience.

Katniss wrapped her arms around Cinna and held him close and tight, trying to convey the emotion she felt that her words couldn't express.

"You're welcome." He whispered into her hair making her heart swell and break with gratitude.

~xXx~

Cato's expression when he saw her made wearing the dress all worthwhile.

"You clean up nice Twelve." He purred into her ear as his hand caressed the silky material.

"Same goes for you." Katniss ran her eyes over his body and, appreciatively, took in the red suit jacket that emphasized his broad shoulders and the power within them, the gold shirt with its top two buttons undone to leave his collar bone and a hint of his chest open for all of Panem to see, to finally the black pants with their crisp lines and stark contrast o the silver. "We match a bit too much for my liking."

He gave a shrug. "My stylist has a roman motif going on,"

"To match your name."

Cato gave her a toothy smile causing Peeta beside her to stiffen even more, "Exactly. Apparently the Roman's were fond of red and gold."

"So the black is just to give you a hint of intimidation then isn't it." Katniss said with a nod.

A hungry glint appeared in Cato's eyes to go with the grin, "Correct again." He leaned in close to whisper into her ear, "You're such a tease _Katniss, _making me all excited (_hungrybloodthirstyhighstrung )_ in that outfit and attitude of yours."

Capitol people were yelling at them to go to their seats now, cutting of any other conversation that could've happened between them before the interviews. He cast her lazy grin over his shoulder as he was ushered into place and Katniss gave into the girlish (_sounlikeher) _desire to return his grin with a flirty finger wave.

She didn't see the cameras that had already begun rolling.

~xXx~

"What the hell is she doing?!" Haymitch swore, and this time no one could reprimand him for it.

Effie gave a huff as she opened her fan to wave in fluster, "That kind of _flirtatious _behaviour is unbecoming of a tribute!"

"She's going to completely destroy the boy's plan!" Haymitch struggled to keep his voice in the angry whisper it was in instead of the scream he whished it to be.

Cinna just sat there, his mouth soundlessly opening and closing before finally managing to splutter out, "Did anyone know she could pull of flirtatious and seductive?"

Silence met his question.

~xXx~

"My, what a firm and strong handshake you have Cato!" Caesar declared loudly, his blue lidded eyes wide in shock.

"I'm sorry Caesar, didn't hurt you did I?" Cato asked with a roguish grin knowing Caesar's answer already.

"Not at all my boy," Cato's hands clenched hard at the word, he was anything but a boy, "I was just merely surprised, although from those shoulders of yours and your training score I shouldn't have been!"

"You flatter me Caesar." He replied with a laugh.

Caesar gave a loud laugh that unsettled Cato ever so slightly, it was to fake for his liking, "A handsome boy," a harder clench this time, almost hard enough to draw blood, "like you must be used to flattery, especially from the ladies. You must have a girlfriend or something of the like." Caesar gave a strange eyebrow roll that got the audience laughing.

_That monster doesn't know how to love, only how to cause pain. He's such a freak. Stay away from him. You'll only get hurt. I tried to kiss him and he bit my lip so hard it bled!_

"I'd go with "or something" Caesar." Cato replied with a sly grin.

"Oh you dog you!" He replied giving Cato a slap on the shoulder. Cato's hand twitched with the urge to snap the mans arm, but he saw Brutus' warning eyes and his hand gesture to continue along Caesar's train of thought. "Quite the ladies man then, even in The Hunger Games!"

Confusion marred Cato's face at the comment, "I'm sorry Caesar, I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Why Miss Everdeen of course!" he replied in exasperation "We all saw your little exchange before! The grin, the wave back, we caught it all on camera!"

Cato's head whipped around to Katniss and he suppressed a flinch at the look of murderous rage and embarrassment on her face. "Oh Katniss!" He said in a slow halting voice, "Yes, she's quite the little firecracker, no pun intended."

Caesar's eyebrows rose into his hairline, "Now Cato, what do you mean by fire-" his question was cut off however by the buzzer indicating that Cato's time was up and he let out a sigh of relief, they had started to go into dangerous waters that he hadn't understood. "Darn and there goes our time! How unfortunate! Cato from District two everyone!"

~xXx~

"See what's happened?" Peeta hissed, "You should never have started talking to him."

"He began talking to me first Peeta." She hissed back. "I never intended for any of this to happen.

"Well it did!" he whispered angrily at her, "Now you're in this strange romance and one of you has to die in the end!"

Katniss was stunned and taken aback, she had known all of this already, had been looking forward to it in fact, the grand end battle, so why did his comment hurt so much? "What does it even matter to you Peeta? You're not the one in this twisted parody of a relationship."

Peeta's mouth shut so quickly Katniss could have sworn shed heard the lick of teeth. He turned away and wouldn't look at her anymore. She gave a huff of anger and stared forward and watched the other tributes being interviewed taking note of the different angles that were being played. As she saw the more heavily built boys play the intimidation role her confidence faltered, how could she exude the same level of intimidation and blood-thirst as these boys when she was half their size?

As it was her turn to be in the spotlight she wiped her sweaty palms against the dress, wishing it was made of more absorbent material and stared at the flashing lights and then at Caesar noticing he had an expectant look on his face. "Did you say something?" Laughter erupted from the audience and her cheeks flushed crimson, this was not intimidating. She needed intimidating, not clueless and stupid!

"I was just merely wondering how you managed to get the e-le-ven in training, the highest any tribute had!" He asked in a good natured way.

She felt a coy smile fix its way onto her face. "That would be telling Caesar, and as much as I don't need to advantage here I'm not about to give away the surprise."

"Ho, don't need the advantage?" He boomed "You seem rather confident in yourself." Caesar said it in a cautionary tone, as though telling her not to be to prideful.

Like she would listen to him if she wasn't going to listen to Haymitch.

"Very confident (_certain_)." She replied letting more teeth show in her smile n the way she knew made her look like a predator, "You said it yourself Caesar, I achieved the highest score."

"Right." He replied in a slightly shaky voice; she has scared him (_good)_, "Your score isn't the only stir you've caused though is it, you're the first volunteer from District Twelve in, well as long as I've been hosting these Games, possibly even longer! What exactly prompted you to volunteer? Glory? Fame?"

Katniss' entire being softened slightly, "My sister."

"You volunteered for your sister?" His tone was one of astonishment. The idea of caring for family to such an extent seemed beyond him.

"I practically raised Prim myself, I was not about to allow her into the Games when she is only twelve." She snapped at him, all traces of softness gone from her demeanour.

"You're a protector then." He said with an understanding nod.

"For those that I love I am." Katniss held her head high and looked into the audience to see Cinna give her a proud smile.

"Does Cato fall under that category?"

She whipped her head back to facing Caesar and wasn't fooled by the innocent look on his expression, he was purposely asking her a loaded question knowing full well the consequences it would have. "And why would you need to know Caesar?" She replied in a voice laced with danger and promised of pain.

"I myself don't need to know." He replied with a hand placed upon his chest, "but I'm certain those viewing at home, and Cato himself are dying to know."

"Cato can ask me himself if he's curious." Katniss replied in a flat tone. "It would hardly matter though, I swore to my sister that I would win and _nothing _is going to stop me from fulfilling that oath." Katniss noted the fear that began to take root in Caesar's eyes as she spoke in low voice smooth as velvet and sharp and deadly as the very knives that had been allowed to play with while in training. "Nothing."

The buzzer sounded and Caesar gave her a nod before standing her up and exclaiming, "Katniss Everdeen "The Girl on Fire" from District twelve everyone!"

Katniss turned sharply as she walked back to her seat, relishing in the gasps of astonishment that came from the audience as they beheld Cinna's magic at work.

The dress had been exactly what she needed.

~xXx~


	8. Monsters Don't Love

_**Monsters Don't Love**_

~xXx~

"I sincerely hope you don't expect me to start calling you my dear or some other sickening form of endearment." Katniss spat out through clenched teeth as she exited the elevator.

"Be my guest sweetheart." Peeta replied sarcastically, matching step for step with her. "I would love to be privileged enough to have your protection."

Grey eyes flashed hard as flint as she hissed, "You never have been, and never will be, someone that has my protection." She watched as his blue eyes glazed over with unshed tears and Katniss continued her vicious assault upon him. "I'm sorry Peeta dear did you magically think that if you declared you love for me during the interviews, of all places, that I would recite some sappy cliché of not realizing what's had been in front of me, but I finally had come to terms with how much I loved you?" Her voice had risen from a hiss to a shout and she ignored the attention they were receiving from passing Avoxes.

"Katniss that's enough." Cinna cut in sharply as the two of them entered into the dining room; Cinna's eyes darted over to Peeta as he took stock of the situation. "There's no need to be cruel to the boy, he was only trying to help."

"Only trying to help?!" she screamed at Cinna. "It's not enough that I had Caesar on my back about Cato, but then he," Katniss pointed an accusing finger in Peeta's direction, ignoring the undisguised hurt visible on his face, "goes and drops the bombshell that he's in love with me? What does that do besides make me look like the tramp that can't be bothered to look at her own District partner and instead flirt with another tribute?"

"So you're upset that I showed everyone what you're really like then are you?" Peeta yelled right back at her. "Angry that I've shown everyone what you really are?"

"I'm angry that you gave yourself a death sentence by saying that because now Cato will stop at nothing to murder you!"

"Why does it matter you don't care anyways!"

"That's enough!" Haymitch yelled at Katniss and Peeta in an attempt to cease the argument, a bottle of spirits pressed to his temple testifying of the headache his tributes were giving him. "What's done is done; let's just work with what we have. You," he said pointing to Katniss, "he just humanized you by saying he was in love with you. Before that all that people saw was a warrior about to go into blood frenzy on the brink of insanity, but now there must be something more to the girl if she captured the attention of such a nice boy. He did nothing but help you out and in my opinion you don't deserve any of his help." He snarled at the end.

"I never said I deserved it." Katniss snapped. "I know I don't deserve it (_monstersneverdo_). But anyone with eyes can tell that I don't love (_I'mincapable_) so Peeta has not only put a target on his back but made himself the sorry sap of the games for everyone to pity!"

Effie let out a gasp as Peeta strode out of the room, punching a hole in the wall as he left in a bout of frustration. "That is alabaster young man! No dessert for you!"

"Oh will you please just shut up?" Katniss yelled at Effie ignoring the tears forming around the woman's eyes.

"That is enough Katniss!" Cinna proclaimed sharply. "I understand that you're upset, but that does not give you a right to belittle and mock those that have only been trying to help you!"

She wilted slightly under Cinna's sharp gaze before straightening her back and looked up with a defiant air about her face. "I don't need any help. I've survived this far on my own; I can make it through these games on my own."

Haymitch rolled his eyes before sarcastically saying, "sure thing sweetheart, I'll make sure to remember that when you're freezing to death and in need of matches."

"See that you do." She replied stiffly and left the room.

~xXx~

Cato looked around the silent table, the unease thick in the air as his escort avoided his eyes and Clove stabbed her food viciously, whishing to speak but knowing that doing so would only end in pain for her. "What no lecture Brutus?"

"Lecture on what?"

"Lecture on how you let everyone see you flirting with that slut." Clove spat through clenched teeth as threw her fork onto the table making their escort flinch at the clatter.

Cato sent a lazy smirk in her direction. "Do you remember what they taught is back in school Clove?" He picked up a knife and twirled it, taking note of Brutus's glare that told him to not cause any permanent damage. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement and when Cato saw him relax, threw the knife at clove and closed his eyes in bliss as he listened to her screams of pain. "You don't engage your superior in a fight with the thought that you won't get hurt (_killedinjureddestroyed_)." Cato opened his eyes and leaned forward smiling when he saw Clove cradling her bleeding hand. "So tell me Clove, what have you been thinking every time that you've insulted my girl and antagonized me?"

"She your girl now?" Clove snarled, spit flying from her mouth Cato noted with disgust. "She know that?"

He couldn't suppress his laugh and it echoed through the tense room. "You think anyone doesn't know? What, that monster is going to go to the pining Lover Boy of Twelve? I don't think so." Cato wiped his mouth with the napkin (_fancyunessecaryCapitol_) before throwing onto the table and standing to make his exit. "I'm done, anyone bothers me tonight and I'll kill them."

Brutus gave a snort. "I'd like to see you try." he muttered around his wineglass.

Fixing his trademark cocky grin onto his face Cato replied, "I'm going into a giant fight to the death tomorrow, what's one more fight?"

~xXx~

Katniss slammed the door to her room in frustration and took satisfaction in the loud bang it made at the force she had applied. How dare Peeta say those things without consulting her! Everything about the interviews had gone south. Her hard image ruined with the exchange (_bantertalkflirting_) with Cato and any sympathy she had gathered from the Capitol destroyed with Peeta's revaluation. The only saving grace had been the dress Cinna had so masterfully crafted. "Am I going to have to go change in the bathroom or will you be leaving anytime soon?" Her voice was harsh from the yelling match with Haymitch.

"Don't mind me, go right ahead; it's not like I haven't seen it all already." Cato drawled from the shadows, amusement evident in his voice.

Katniss sent a glare towards the dark corner and turned her back to him before reaching up and grasping the zipper to her dress, pulling it down slowly until all of her back was visible. "What brings you here Cato? Hiding from you mentor?"

"You didn't wear a bra with that dress Katniss?" His voice low and hungry and so close to her ear it made her shiver. "And I hide from no one." His hands ghosted along her back as pulled the shoulder strap over her head and let it fall.

Hand braced against her chest to keep the dress from falling down, Katniss turned around to face him. "Don't you know bras aren't in fashion now?" Her voice high and false as she adapted a ridiculous Capitol accent. "Can't have one showing, it would be the ultimate faux pas."

"I wasn't complaining one bit Katniss." Cato said in a low voice. His face was obscured by the shadows, but his eyes (_blueicicles_) glowed in the darkness (_animaleyes_) as he hungrily took in her appearance. "Who am I to object to the latest trends?"

She gave a small huff and turned away once more and walked towards the closet that was ridiculously stocked with clothing. She took her hands off her chest, letting the dress pool to the floor as she stepped out of it, and her fingers flew as they released her hair from the prison of pins. Katniss smirked as she heard the sharp intake of breath from Cato, she resisted the urge to wiggle is satisfaction knowing that he openly stared at her body and she stood in front of the closet in only the thong Cinna had put her in. "So what brings you to my room so late at night Cato?" Katniss kept her voice light to not betray the anxiety that had pooled in her stomach. "I thought I told you to get out of my sight the last time you paid me a late night visit."

"Since when have monsters like us ever listened to commands people give?" Cato's voice was lofty, as if he wasn't remembering his last visit (_thekissthebruisestheintensity_).

"Hmm yes." Katniss hummed as she changed into a pair of simple pyjamas and made her way to the bathroom to wash away the remnants of her fiery makeup. "I figured the knife would've kept you away."

"You obviously don't know anything about me if you thought a little knife would keep me away (_itmademecomeback_)."

There was that cocky smile again, Katniss cursed inside her mind when she saw it. She could hear the things he hasn't said as well, how she had made him want to come back (_madehimwantmore_) and see his fellow monster. "You're right Cato I don't know you, we only met a few days ago after all." Her tone was frosty and screamed stay away don't talk to me.

As if that would stop him.

"Lying may work on others (_peasantsthelotofthem_) but it won't work on me." Cato stepped towards her, invading what little personal space she had previously had. "We're cut from the same cloth remember Katniss? Monsters just looking for a companion."

"A companion?" Katniss spat as she pushed Cato aside to get to her bed, ignoring the murderous intent that flashed through his eyes at her shove. "I'm a solitary monster Cato, I don't need a companion."

"Don't lie Katniss." Cato hissed as be grabbed her arm, "Not to me."

"I can lie to whomever I want to." Katniss hissed back to him. "But trust me when I say I'm not lying, I don't need anyone Cato." She wrenched her arm free from his grasp, ignoring the blossoming bruises. "And I sure as hell don't need you."

"Don't need anyone?" His voice was quiet but it may as well have been a yell in the silence of her room. "What about dear little Prim?" He sneered, showing how far beneath him Cato thought Prim was.

"You don't get to say her name." Katniss snarled and she grabbed Cato's shirt. "You don't get to sully her name with you filthy lips."

He met out a mocking laugh, "This lips have been all over yours, remember that sweet heart."

"Don't call me that." Katniss hissed as she slapped Cato, the sound ringing through the room.

"You hit like a girl." His lips were twisted in a sardonic smile.

Katniss' features twisted as she felt fury rise inside of her. "Get out."

"No." Cato's jaw was set as he stubbornly stood his ground.

"I said get out." Her voice had risen above the quiet tone she had previously adopted.

He took a step forward and pushed her so she fell onto the bed. "I'm not deaf twelve, but obviously you are." He ignored her death glare. "I said no."

"I know you've gotten whatever sick satisfaction you were looking for." Katniss glared up from underneath him, "I can see it in your eyes. Now leave."

"How would you know what I've gotten tonight Katniss?" He murmured as his fingers ran through her hair. "You've only known me a couple of days after all."

"Why are you here?" Katniss' voice was filled with frustration that only made his blood quicken.

"I told you Katniss I'm looking for a companion (_anequal_)."

"Well keep searching then." Her eyes were ablaze with fire and it made his heart stop and stutter. "Monsters like me don't love."

Cato couldn't contain the laugh that had built up inside of him. He leaned back so he was no longer overtop of her and his laughter bounced off the walls. "Whoever said anything about love Katniss?" The irritating smile was fixated on his face once again. "I'm merely looking for a companion, a warm body to chase away the nightmares and give me protection." Cato's voice had adopted a mocking lilt at the end as he referenced her interview.

"You will never be someone that has my protection." Her snarl was so inhuman Cato wondered how her vocal chords had produced the sound.

His voice was soft as he whispered "Good. You wouldn't be my little monster if you did." He closed the small gal that had been between them as he melded his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and soft (_sounlikethem_) and stole her breath away. "Out of energy already Katniss?" He muttered against her lips as they surfaced for air. "I expected far greater stamina."

Katniss flipped their positions so that his back was against the soft downy bed and she straddled his hips. "I'll show you stamina." She purred and went in for the attack. Her kiss was harsher as she nipped and bit, her fingernails digging his broad shoulders as Katniss felt Cato's excitement build.

"You animal you." Cato teased in a breathy voice.

"Not an animal, a monster." She replied as she elicited a groan from Cato.

His finger dug into her hips and he held Katniss tighter (closer). "My monster."

Katniss grabbed Cato's chin and forced it so that his face was parallel to hers and in a raw voice proclaimed, "Never yours."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Cato laughed in contempt, "but we both know the truth." As they gave into their base (animalistic) instincts Katniss couldn't deny the truth that she herself knew.

She didn't want to.

~xXx~

"This changes nothing."

Cato gave a snort at her voice that was devoid of emotion. "I didn't expect it to."

"Good then leave my room." It was a harsh and final statement that left no room for argument, she couldn't show weakness.

Cato scoffed as he adjusted the belt on his pants. "Such a cold tone Katniss, you were so fiery earlier."

"What can I say," she muttered from her place among the blankets as Katniss gazed up at the ceiling, "I am the Girl on Fire."

There was no cuddling after their tryst in bed, no sweet nothing whispered into the others ear. It had not been a romantic affair and she wouldn't repeat it if given the chance (_lieslieslieslies_). Cato knew how to play the game though, how to love them (_whataridiculoustthoughtlove_) and leave them, and Katniss was no stranger to playing the scorned woman who couldn't wait for the man to leave, but this time was different. This time Katniss was left with an ache that wouldn't leave, it just throbbed and throbbed without stopping.

He had finally finished dressing and Katniss tried not to think about what a tragedy it was that his exquisite body was covered up. Cato didn't give her a lingering kiss goodbye like others before him had done (_attemptedtodo_) didn't even acknowledge her as he made his way towards the door. He stopped in the doorway though and without looking back towards her sprawled out on the bed said, "Try not to let anyone kill you when we're in there." There was no need to specify the where he was referring to; it went without saying between the two of them. "I'd never forgive you if someone else were to be the one to douse the Girl on Fire."

_Stay safe, I need to see you again before this is all over._

Cato was out the door and gone before she could reply, Katniss didn't even know how she would've replied to a statement like that. So she settled for turning over and burying her face into one of the overstuffed pillows to hide the grin on her face. That had been the most romantic statement Katniss could have ever hoped (wished) for from Cato. "Don't worry Cato," Katniss whispered so softly into the pillow she could barely hear herself, "that privilege is reserved for you and only you."

She fell asleep to visions of battles and bloodbaths dancing behind her eyelids with his laugh ringing out loud and clear as a bell over the sounds of clashing metal and screams of pain and fear. He was an angel of death with blood streaked through his hair and staining his clothes, a broadsword in hand and the mangled body of a tribute in the other and Katniss didn't know if she would ever see a more beautiful sight.

~xXx~


	9. So Close You Can Almost Taste It

**Sorry for the long delay, but the previous author, Meg, decided that she wasn't going to continue writing fanfiction anymore and gave her account to me so I wouldn't have to worry about setting up an account and transferring this story. The name's Kira and I really hope that I don't disappoint you all and manage to keep up the same writing style as Meg.**

* * *

_**So Close You Can Almost Taste It**_

~xXx~

"You seem rather chipper and excited for someone headed into almost certain death." Haymitch say dryly.

"What can I say Haymitch, I just can't wait to go to the place where I belong." The smile she gave him was blinding, all bared teeth and wide bright eyes.

Haymitch could only stare before saying slowly, as if he couldn't believe the words that were coming from his mouth, "You really believe that, don't you sweetheart."

Katniss' grin dulled slightly and became more sardonic. "In the time you've gotten to know me Haymitch, do you really doubt it?"

Haymitch turned towards Peeta, who had been stonily silent during the exchange, knowing that Katniss didn't need any advice from him. "Don't do anything stupid Peeta, find water, keep your head down, be smart, and stay alive."

_Don't try and protect her, she doesn't need protecting._

Peeta gave a stiff nod, eyes flitting over to Katniss trying to drink her in one last time. He recoiled away, as if touched by fire, at the insanity and intensity present in her grey eyes. She tried to feel some form of pity, remorse, anything, but she couldn't. She was to high strung over the events of last night and the humming that was present in her blood at the prospect of being in her element.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?" Hay notch snapped startling Katniss from her thoughts. "Don't be stupid, you're good but you're not that good. Don't duke it out in the very beginning, everyone is gunning for you anyways so draw it out, put on a show. I know how much you love doing that."

"Ya sure whatever you say, play nice with the other kids, clean deaths, no playing with my food." She ignored the look of disgust on Peeta's face and grinned happily at Haymitch, "I'll even refrain from killing Peeta if it'll make you happy."

"It would make me very happy." Haymitch's tone was curt, strangled as if he couldn't breath. "And it'll make the people back home happy."

Katniss gave a snort of disgust, "Why should I care what the people back home think of me? I bring in the most meat to the District so what does it matter if they see who I really am."

Haymitch threw his arms up in the air, frustration radiating from every pore. "I give up, do what you want. If you get killed by your lover its no ones fault but your own."

"Lover?" Peeta's voice was sharp, wounded, the voice of an animal that had been kicked down to the ground and left there to rot. The type of dangerous animal that was gearing up to bite back.

"You can call Cato and I many different things but lovers is not one of them (_we'remonsterskillersmurderers)_." She snapped at Haymitch, hands curling in tight fists. "So don't ever call us that again."

Haymitch's hand twitched in an aborted motion to hit her (_doitIdareyou_), stopped only by the icy look on Peeta's face. "You won't ever have to since you'll probably be dead by the morning due to you godforsaken arrogance! Get out of my sight already and go rush to your death."

"I'm not rushing to my death I'm rushing to the beginning of an enjoyable life." She hissed back getting the last word in before leaving with Cinna to prep for the oncoming bloodbath.

~xXx~

"No last words of wisdom oh great mentor?" Cato said sarcastically to Brutus. "You've been so helpful up until this point after all."

"Watch it Cato, I'm the closest thing to a merciful God that you'll get in that arena." His tone was lofty, too used to death threats and cutting remarks from cocky tributes (_sureofhisstatusasamonster)._

"Only the weak need the help of God, the strong survive and ascend to thrones of power." Blue eyes glazed over as they envisioned the ascent to a position of God, President Snow crowning him the victor, the fearful gazes of those from the Districts, the praising ones from the Capital, and the broken body of Katniss underneath him as he thrusts his sword into her abdomen. "And I'm anything but weak."

~xXx~

"Are last night's activities going to impede you at all today Katniss?"

The question threw her so off kilter she fumbled with the laces on her boots. "Excuse me Cinna?"

He rolled his gold flecked eyes and gave her a good natured smile. "I'm not naive or stupid Katniss, the marks on you body paint such a vivid picture and I want to know if anything is going to impede your spectacular performance."

"Spectacular (_wrongword)_ huh?" Katniss murmured as she flexed her muscles seeing where the areas of greatest soreness were for Cinna's sake. "You're the first one to think I'll be doing something spectacular (_wrongwrongwrong)_." The word seemed so foreign coming from her lips, she wasn't sure what to make of it.

Taking hold of her hand Cinna spoke, "We were all given talents Katniss, be it dress making, flower arranging, empathy, or good wit. What difference should it make that your talent is that of a warrior? The talent of painting pictures with blood and creating symphonies with screams?"

She choked back tears as her eyes burned and her throat closed in on itself. Was this what acceptance felt like? Knowing that despite your flaws someone didn't care and was still there for you without an ounce of judgement? It was so different that what she felt with Cato, with him it was excitement of someone similar, but Cinna possessed none of her qualities. He was gentle and soft, so much more like Prim then Katniss, but he didn't care. "Thank you." she managed to choke out past the raw emotion inside of her.

"I'll be betting on you girl on fire." Cinna murmured as he planted a kiss to her forehead. "Show them the beauty within battle."

~xXx~

"Your job is done leave now." Cato snapped at his stylist Evangeline.

Her teal lips quivered as she said, "Are you sure?"

"Leave!" his yell echoed throughout the room as she scrambled away, tripping on the long dress she wore. With a slam of the door she was gone and Cato let out a deep breath, appreciating the silence. Silence was something that Cato could appreciate, no mindless chattering, no stupid questions, no breathing from those unworthy to live. The true test of a hunter to see if they can stalk and still preserve the silence.

When he killed Katniss the only sound coming from him would be silence.

~xXx~

The sun was too bright. After being in a darkened room with Cinna she was blinded and struggled to gain her bearings. Careful not to squint and give away the disadvantage she was at she scanned the area taking everything in. Forests, tall trees, the cornucopia close to fifty feet away. Inside the cornucopia's mouth she could see tents, bags of water, dehydrated food, everything needed for an easy _(nothingisevereasy_) survival. Weapons were strewn all over the place, axes, swords (_Catowilllovethat_), knives, flails; she could see every imaginable weapon except for a bow. Frustrated she increased her frenzied search with her eyes; she needed a target to run to (_agoal_).

~xXx~

He could see her panic in the tensing of her shoulders and the quickness of those darting eyes. Should he help her out? Catch her eyes and point to the bow lying so close to him? She said she didn't want to be in an alliance, but maybe just this one time Cato would be generous.

~xXx~

She could feel him staring at her and unbidden her eyes went to him. That cocky smile was back in place as his eyes moved to his right... right onto a (_gloriousperfectbeautiful_) silver bow. A grin lit up her face as she saw her choice weapon of murder and as the clock ticked down to zero she directed that grin towards him.

~xXx~

_Six._

That grin of her knocked the breath out of him; she looked so wonderful without a scowl marring her features.

~xXx~

_Five._

Katniss moved her eyes towards the sword that she knew Cato would enjoy, hoping he would understand. (_sheknewhewould)_.

~xXx~

_Four._

A favour for a favour then. He shows her the bow he knows she'll use to create a massacre, and she shows him the beautifully crafted sword just laying there innocently, put there specifically for him.

~xXx~

_Three._

Exchanged nods as they both acknowledge the one time acts of kindness. She will get her bow, he will get his sword. They won't have an exchange like this again.

~xXx~

_Two.  
_

He lowered into a hunter's crouch, ready to explode and release all the pent up energy. His blood was humming as he scanned the area for his first target (districtsix) and the thought of running a sword straight through them. He gnashed his teeth in anticipating, willing the clock to speed up and let him run free.

~xXx~

_One._

Eyes closed as she took a deep breath, centering herself and calling forth her inner beast that she normally kept leashed. Whatever they had previously thought was her most vicious (_leastmerciful_) they were wrong. It was time now for all of them to see who (_what_) she truly was. A monster of the highest degree.

A blood-crazed animal craving murder.

~xXx~

_Zero._

* * *

**I hope I managed to live up to your expectation. :) Please leave a review a tell me if there's anything I need to tweak about the writing style if it doesn't flow with what Meg previously had. Ideas too, Meg gave me the skeleton outline that she had written, but I'm always open to suggestions from the people.**


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